Familia,

This week was crazy. On Thursday president called a meeting for the whole mission and e veryone left their areas to come to Managua to here his counsel. It was amazing. He talked a lot about inspiration and the planning process which was pretty much exactly what I needed to hear, but the thing that impacted me the most was his counsel about fear. He talked how when we have fear as missionaries, this usually means that we have pride. Wow. That was a pretty big machete for me...jeje....but it is certain. The more I reflect on this the more I can see the dangers of fear. He talked about the fear of failure and how the reason that we fear failure is because we fear loosing our standard in the eyes of others. Fear is selfish and when we are fearing we are puting our confidence in ourselves and not trusting in the Lord. THerefore we cannot be missionaries of faith. I am trying really hard now to keep myself accountable to the Lord and focus more in what he thinks of me than anyone else. President Arredondo is amazing.

 

This week we had a complete family in teh church and it is amazing how much better that feels than having none in the church...jeje...conference time is our time of the most work so this week should be crazy but it also has teh possiblity to be amazing and I have hope that we can help a lot of families gain testimonies of prophets and the truthfulness of the church this week. Please keep us in your prayers.

 

Fun fact about Managua, the buses here are rediculiuos. today we used a bus and I have never been more smashed in my life. HErmana Rodriguez adn I where     practically hanging out hte back door there were so many people. Personal space does not exist which is something really dif ferent for missionaries as we are pretty much nuns here in the mission..jejeje.

 

This week I took comfort in a quote from Elder Buche:

When you are physically sick, tired, or in despair steer your thoughts away from yourself and direct them in gratitude and love toward God and you will be freed.

Put all frustrations, hurt feelings, and grumblings into the perspective of your eternal hope. Light will flow into your soul.

 

Well family. I love you guys. Thanks for the emails. I dont know if I will have to write you all htis week, but I will try and if not I will make up for it next week. As always you are in my prayers.

 

hna Manning

Well family, here I am in Managua. A lot has changed since I last wrote.

1. Tuesday was my last day in Chinandega Oeste. We had our baptism and we didnt think that either of us were going to have cambios but at 7 we got a call that I was going to be changed. I cant describe the emotions that I was feeling. First things first, I began to cry, dont ask me why, the mission is making me soft...jeje....and I love the Hermana Monrroy and am really going to miss her as a companion. At the same time, I was also pretty excited because you know how we Mannings like change and I knew that I was going to get a new area. We spend the next 2 and half hours visiting our recient converts and investigators and saying goodbye, which is not an easy thing to do when you know you will probably never see them again in this life. When I visited the Romero family there 8 year old Franklin started sobbing ... there arent really words to describe how that made me feel. Hermana Monrroy and I spent part of the night packing and then woke up at 3 to finish the rest. Where we headed to Managua for cambios.

 

2. Well cambios were a little different this time and we always recieve our new comp and area the very last. All of the other hermanas recieved theirs first. Finally my name flashed up on the screen next to the photo of Hermana Rodriguez. She is from Panama and we are opening an area. I am senior comp. Well, I cant tell you how I was feeling in that moment, but the word overwhelmed is pretty accurate, excited is also right up there.

 

3. Entonces, here I sit in Manangua, my area is called Las Americas and my companion is a champion. We spent the whole first few days completely lost and loved every minute of it. We found a woman named carla that has been going to church but never felt the need to baptized. We have her baptism programmed for this weekend so please keep her in your prayers.

 

Well family, I guess all I can say is the Lord works in mysterious ways, but his way is the best way, the only way. I can feel his hand directing my life at every turn and I know that he is in control and has a future planned for all of us if we will only accept it. I am feeling pretty humbled but hopeful right now so please keep me and my companion in your prayers. As always you are in mine.

 

Hermana Manning

Bueno,

This week was a week of miracles so hold on to your horses:

1. This week we worked with the Lezama family like locas....pero....they have yet to accept baptism. Satan is fighting against them so hard and at times it is so frustrating. I know that the gospel blesses families and that the only way to have a home filled with the spirit is to have a home based on Christlike attributes of love, humility, forgiveness, and mutual respect. THE GOSPEL IS THE ANSWER but as humans we can not always see it. 

2. This week the hermana Monrroy and I decided to fast and it was such a powerful experience. We were walking and she felt impressed to contact a house so we walked to the doorway and yelled ¨buenas¨ and a woman answered ¨pase adelante¨ before we could even say anything else. She pulled out two chairs and we begin to talk. No less than 1 minute into the conversation, she shared with us that her mom is super sick adn in a lot of pan. We asked to see her, and Luisa, the woman, took us to a back room where a her mom was sitting in a rocking chair. She cant see so she uses sunglasses adn she cant hear really well. SHe is diabetic adn has some other problem and is always in pain. When she breathes her chest and her stomach expand and every breath is an effort. We sang a hymn and it was such a powerful experience. I asked the Luisa why she let us into her home and she told me that she felt something inside of her guiding her to do it, something that she had never felt before. We asked her if we could come back with a priesthood holder to give Carlota a blessing and she said yes. THe next day we returned with the bishop adn he gave blessing of comfort. After he finished, Carlota asked us if we could sing for her another time. We sang I know that my redeemer lives and I dont think I have ever felt the power and importancia of this himno hasta that moment. The words, He lives and I shall conquer death have never meant more to me. I dont know if the family we progress and come to church but for a moment when we were singing, I felt for the first time like a true disciple of Christ. I believe with all my heart in the power of prayer adn fasting.

3. Remember how I said the other week that I have never been more wet in my life....well.....that was child´s play. THis week was a week of natural disasters in my neck of hte woods. THere was an earthquake in Costa RIca and we could feel a little of the effects here in Chinandega. The volcano near us errupted and ash was raining in some of the areas but not in ours. Well the rain also picked up and we were walking without our umbrella. WE got completely drenched and stopped in at the house of an investigator to pass the rain. SHe brought us clothes to change into. I had a shirt with 50 cent on the front....yeah....I was really following the dress and grooming standards. WE walked home and the streets were completely flooded up to our knees. I loved every minute of it.

4. Well the final miracle. THis week we worked like crazy to bring people to church with very little success and I was a little disheartened, because I honestly felt like we were doing our part and not seeing very much success. Well in the night we recieved a call from teh bishop. THere is a women who has visited the ward for years but never had a desire to be baptized that we didnt know. well this Sunday she talked to the bishop and we passed by her house to teach her this morning. SHe is going to be baptized Tomorrow! It is amazing how the Lord has and continues to bless us here as missionaries. WHat a special experience to teach a woman who came to us because she had a desire to be baptized and not the other way around.

Well, Wednesday is cambios so we will head to Managua. THe time is flying. I love you all. 

De le pues...

Hermana Manning

Family,

It feels like I was just writing yesterday. The time is flying here. Important items of business:

1. I won the luck for the month. It is really easy to be the first one to say rabbits when your comp doesnt speak English..jejeje

2. I am officially official. I have my cedula for Nicaragua - which is like a license- and it is terrible. I am smirking like a gangster. You know how I roll.

3. This week the rain was rediculous. I dont think I have ever been more soaked through in my life, and ....I cant believe I am writing this... but for a few minutes I actually felt cold. Yeah...weird... I know. The rain poured, and I mean poured. When the thunder cracks here it is for, at times 20 seconds or more and I can feel it in my chest. The power is always out which makes it hard to teach but I love the rain. THis week I leant my umbrella to my zone leader and he returned it to me a few days later. THat same day the rain was pouring and I went to open my umbrella and it was completely broken. One half was flappy adn the other stuck straight out. Needless to say I looked rediculous and Hermana Monrroy adn I were dying we were laughing so hard. We tried to use a street that we normal use and it was completely flooded and had a current. THis did not deture us. It should have. We got less than half way up and had to turn around because we were laughing so hard and almost fell 3 or 4 times. By the time we made it back to drier - less muddy- ground there was a gathering of children watching us.  

4. This weekend our investigator CHristian was baptized adn it was such a special experience. He has been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy and praying adn it is like he is a completely different pearson. We passed him on the street today and he was reading the church handbook of instructions....he doesnt even have a calling....yet :) After his baptism he came up to me adn thanked me for all that  I have done to help him. He told me that he we always be grateful for me because he doesnt know if he would have ever come to Christ without me.....wow....I cant begin to tell you the feelings in my heart at hearing this. I dont feel like I did anything. He is so willing to act and in reality that is what is most important, but I have never felt more like I was fulfilling my missionary purpose than in that moment. What a privilege it was to see his conversion. Hopefully I will have some pictures for you in the email to follow.

 

Well family. I love you all. I know with all my heart that this church is true adn that God is always reaching out to us with unimaginable blessings if we will just accept them into our lives. THank you for your prayers. 

 

Hermana Manning

Familia!

Wow, this last week was incredible. Elder Martino of hte 70 came to our mission and because I was in the choir we spent the last week traveling and  attending conferences adn singing. What an amazing experience. We sang Yo Se Que Vive Mi Senor, and for the first verse we had a quartet and I sang the seprano part....yeah never thought that I would say that jejeje. We had to sacrifice every PDay this cambio for practices, but it was absolutely worth it. I will try to relate everything...so here it comes.

Elder Martino likes to use what we call here machetes. Pretty much we sat through two straight days of ¨constructive criticism¨and it was amazing.... and a little intense....and a little scary...and completely life altering.

The first conference was here in my area and all of us gathered in the sTake Center to recieve training. THe first part of hte morning president spoke as well as Elder Martino which was amazing, and in the afternoon he opened it up to a question and answer session. For part of it he called me and my companion up to give an example adn answer some questions....talk about pressure..jeje...pero it was super good, adn luckly we knew the answers. More importantly though, it was an opportunity to excersize faith and recieve direct counsel from a 70. To close the session I asked him how we can give our will to the Lord always and he closed the training by talking to us about hte power of the atonement...... it is amazing how much easier it is to see the need for the atonement after we can see all of our sins and weaknesses. It is amazing how beautiful and liberating the atonement when first we can see the captivity brought upon us by our bad use of agency. Overall the experience was incredible, but it didnt end there. 

All of us loaded up into a bus...well first hna Monrroy and I had to run home adn pack and then run....and I literally mean run...to catch the bus for the choir. We looked rediculous running through teh streets with our things and the sun was piping hot. We thought it was hilarious adn I am pretty sure that the people here think los mormones son locos...jeje. 

But anyway, we all loaded into a bus and headed for Managua where 13 of us sisters spent the night in one house. Talk about a sister missionary sleep over. We arrived and talked quietly for a while and then said our prayers adn went to bed... we are party animals. But seriously it was an amazing experience. THe Hermanas aqui are incredible, I am pretty sure the Lord sends his best to Nicaragua Managua Norte :) 

THe next morning was day 2 of the conferences and day 2 of machetes. WE talked about the  importance of baptism, and more than that the necesity to baptize and work with Priesthood holders because with out them, we  are creating areas in which the church lacks leadership and therefore the abiltiy to create stakes. It is amazing how much thought and organization goes into every aspect of the church adn how important the correct vision is. With out structure, leadership, and retention, missionary work creates more problems then it helps. It was a serious call to repentance for us, but it was exactly what we needed to hear. When I arrived, I was told this is the best mission in the world, and I truly believe that. IN the past, things where going really well here, but know I have a greater hope for the future. I know this is hte power of the atonemet. This is the hope that comes from knowing that no matter where we are, there is a better future and the past can be forgiven. 

THis cambio we spent more than 70 hours in buses traveling for practices and conferences, making the trip from Managua to Chinandega over and over again. We returned in the same buses on the same streets, but we are different now, and that is the power of the atonement. Our cirucmstances may not change but our hearts do. 

Well I have a lot more to say but I dont have time or space so I hope you can feel that testimony that I have in this email. The future is as bright as your faith.

hna Manning

Well family this week was full of adventures so buckle up.
Monday night we recieved a call that president was going to visit our area in the morning for interviews and training. I knew that this was an opportunity to ask questions that I have been thinking in the last 2 cambios and begin to pray that I would ready to recieve the answers. Well he came and the very first thing he did was give a talk on my question. WOW... what a powerful experience. I know that he is an inspired man of God and that the Holy Ghost is guiding his actions. We had a training afterword adn the AP asked me to demonstrate how to contact... yeah... no pressure. jeje. pero it was a good experience and I learned a ton. I know that action invites the Holy Ghost adn it is through the Holy Ghost that we learn. After this Presidente interviewed me adn it was an amazing experience. I was able to get clarification on the things that I was struggling with and was reminded by him that if Missionary Work is not fun we are not doing it right. I think this also applies to life. He talked about how usually it is not the circumstance that changes but the thoughts of the person in the circumstance. Pretty much it was a call to repentance for me - here we call it a machete- but it was exactly what I had been praying for and I know that our weaknesses are opportunities to feel the atoning power of Christ in our lives.

This Thursday was also super special. The Romero Garcia family was married and then baptized into the church. What an experience. WE spent all day preparing getting things in order for the wedding and the rest of our time with the family preparing them. I did the hair of all the women for the wedding.Yeah...me. Never thought I would ever say that. jeje. But it was a another powerful experience. I was really scared because I wanted them to look their best adn feel special so a prayed that my abilities would be magnified and I sincerely believe that I recieved help. The service was beautiful and one of our other investigators visited and was really touched. I was talking to him afterwords and he told me that he felt like it was especially special because it was a family and he felt a desire to have that for himself also. Gods plan is a plan for families. After the baptism there was a torrential downpoor I will send the pictures. It was super divertido.

Other news. THis Saturday I completed 4 months in the mission and we celebrated by getting caught in another downpoor. THe streets were completely flooded adn the wind had knocked over trees cutting the power. I loved it. I dont know why but I really am coming to love rain and things that make one day different from the rest.

Family Lezama....hopefully this week

Well family, I love you. I am so grateful for your letters and examples. As always you are in my prayers.
Hermana Manning

Well familia, another week has passed and here are the updates-
1. The familia Lezama has yet to enter the waters of baptism. We worked with them casi every day this week and they are progressing but the dad just wont commit. I am kind of sad about this because I want la hna Rojas to be at the baptism and I dont know if she is going to have cambios this week. Anyway, I have faith hopefully I will be able to write about their baptism soon.

2. This week we had a training for nuevos and entrenadoras in Managua con Presidente y su Esposa. I have got to say that they are incredible and it was good to eat Pizza Hut after 6 weeks of gallo pinto. I left the reunion with a desire to be better and hna Rojas left with a desire to push me to my limits. After the meeting she told me that I was going to take over the responsibilities for the weekend. She gave me the keys the phone and I made all the decisions for planning and took the lead in starting and ending all of our lessons. HOly Smokes.... it was pretty much an eye opening experience for me. My weakenesses are pretty much blatently before my eyes right now but it was amazing also. I feel like I learned a lot and I know that this is how God works. We try our best and are going to fall short always. For this reason I am especially grateful for grace. 

3. So this weekend we contacted two families that live together and the experience was amazing. IN the words of mi companera, she looked at us like we were angels. She has a son that died and we talked about the plan of Salvation and testified that she would see her son again and that through the gospel of jesus CHrist she could live with him forever. What a powerful experience. As we were talking we also found out that their marriage has problems and as she was talking to us she broke down and starting crying. Her desire to have a strong family is palpable and I wish that all people could want what she wants. THe family committed to baptism but dont have a date yet so I will have to keep you all updated.

I dont have a whole lot of time to write this week but I will try to get to all of you. If I dont please hang in there, I will get to you soon!

So another fun fact about Nicaragua. All of the buses and taxis have names like Dios es amor or El Sangre de Jesus. It is amazing how infused religion is in the culture here and yet how many people dont see the action part of faith. 

Well I love you all. Keep my families in your prayers.
hna Manning